Stem Cells Hold Hope for Hearts

Heart attacks often cause cardiac damage, but Joshua Hare, chief of the Cardiovascular Division and director of the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute at the Miller School of Medicine, is leading clinical trials to see if stem cells from a patient’s own bone marrow can help repair the damage.

In a study begun in April, which is also taking place at Johns Hopkins University and is funded by the National Institutes of Health Specialized Center for Cell Therapy, patients with heart attack-induced damage who require bypass surgery are receiving mesenchymal stem cells or a placebo injected into the heart during surgery. In July the FDA also approved a study enabling Hare’s team to inject stem cells nonsurgically into the patient’s damaged heart through a catheter.

Cultural Connection in Mental Illness

Family support helps people with mental illness, but not all families are equally supportive. Amy Weisman de Mamani, UM associate professor of psychology, and University of Massachusetts psychologist Jennifer A. Kymalainen reviewed three decades of research on schizophrenia in different cultures. Their findings, published in the April issue of Cultural Diversity and Ethnic Minority Psychology, show U.S. Latinos with mental illness often have a better outcome than Anglos because their families tend to share some blame for the illness and thus may be more compassionate. Weisman de Mamani says the Anglo “notion that with hard work you can overcome anything” can be a healthy attribute but also may lead to more criticism and a more severe course for the mental illness.

Eye in the Sky Assists the Homeland

Satellite dishes at UM’s Center for Advanced Remote Sensing (CSTARS) receive data used to monitor the environment, peer into storms, and assist rescue efforts. Now its partnership with the Department of Homeland Security will help beef up national security. Along with Stevens Institute of Technology and Rutgers University in New Jersey and the University of Hawaii, CSTARS will lead the Center of Excellence for Maritime, Island and Port Security.